Missouri town suffers damage not from tornado but 'straight-line winds'

Wednesday

Feb 29, 2012 at 12:01 AMFeb 29, 2012 at 10:32 PM

“It wasn’t a tornado,” a Phelps County (Mo.) Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said. “It was straight line winds that, in this case, just happened to hit the building just right.”

Shannon Beck

Families all over Missouri are picking up the pieces from the storm that came through the area late last night and continued until early this morning.

Edgar Springs, Mo., may have been hit hardest. The Conoco station just off of Highway 63 at the town’s northern edge took a big punch from mother nature, knocking down the storefront and scattering pieces of the roof, glass and insulation for about a mile.

“It wasn’t a tornado,” a Phelps County (Mo.) Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said. “It was straight-line winds that, in this case, just happened to hit the building just right.”

Owners of the Conoco station were at the store ready to begin cleanup at 9 a.m. this morning.

In addition to the Conoco station, several outbuildings and barns also fell prey to the high winds. Overall, residents of the town are expressing gratitude that no one was hurt and no homes were taken by the storms.

“We really are lucky,” was overheard several times at the town’s general store and morning coffee spot.

Residents in Rolla, Mo., shared that luck in that no one was hurt, although a few homes and businesses do have damage. That includes a house on Coventry Lane that a large tree limb fell on top of, creating substantial damage to the home’s roof and kitchen area. The couple who lives in the home was sleeping when the tree came cashing into their home, but, luckily, their bedroom is on the opposite side of the house.

Many other Rolla residents are reporting trees and large limbs down as well as swing sets and other large outdoor items being damaged.

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